Vikings defense clamps down on Daniel Jones and the Colts for a 16-10 victory to stay undefeated

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Blake Cashman led an onslaught of pressure all afternoon. Harrison Smith had the game-sealing interception.

The Minnesota Vikings aren't scoring much, but a near-impenetrable defense has so far had all the support it's needed to fuel the NFC's last undefeated team.

Kyler Murray and the Vikings overcame another sluggish start and remained unbeaten with a 16-10 victory over the spiraling Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

“We feel really comfortable and confident to win football games when we don’t turn it over and we win the field position and boring stuff like that, because we know over the course of 60 minutes what that side can do,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said.

Cashman, the eighth-year linebacker who is thriving as the primary communicator for defensive coordinator Brian Flores, had 12 tackles, two sacks, four passes defensed and three hits on quarterback Daniel Jones for the Vikings (6-0), who have allowed a league-low 74 points.

Smith picked off Jones around midfield with about a minute left to kill the last-ditch drive by the Colts (2-5) before it ever got going. It was his 40th career interception. Smith planted the ball on the 40-yard line to mark the occasion as the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium chanted: “Harry! Harry! Harry!”

“There’s a lot of fight in this group,” said Smith, a six-time Pro Bowl safety who decided right before the regular season to return for his 15th year with the Vikings.

Will Reichard made three field goals for the Vikings, including a 52-yarder with 1:39 left after his 59-yard try was blocked by Grover Stewart earlier in the fourth quarter.

Jonathan Taylor gave the Colts the lead they kept for more than three quarters of the game with a 38-yard touchdown run on their opening drive, but Spencer Shrader missed two field goals in the second half.

The miss from 56 yards that coach Shane Steichen called for on fourth-and-2 set the Vikings up for their only touchdown, when Murray used a 35-yard run to get in range for a short scoring pass to T.J. Hockenson. That was just the 10th touchdown for the offense in six games.

“We’ll continue to get better. I know we will. I know we keep saying that, but I felt like we moved the ball well today,” said Murray, who was 14 for 24 for 150 yards. “We’ve just got to put the ball in the end zone.”

Jones went 13 for 22 for 108 yards and lost 44 yards on four sacks, with Flores relentlessly sending blitzers into the backfield.

“I think we expected it to be this kind of game, kind of an ugly game, and credit to them on defense,” said Jones, who spent the last half of the 2024 season as a backup with the Vikings. “They have a good system and do good stuff.”

Jones has just four touchdown passes and seven interceptions in seven games, but Steichen said afterward he's not considering a switch.

“I've got a ton of faith in Daniel,” Steichen said.

Reichard hit from 28 and 47 yards in the second quarter to set the franchise record with 35 consecutive made field goals, which was the longest active streak in the league — until the block.

Shrader, who leads the NFL in scoring this season with 70 points, had his streak of 22 straight made field goals end with his wide-left miss that had heavy pressure off the edge by former Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. That also stopped Shrader's run of seven makes in a row from 50-plus yards.

Colts: With standout Sauce Gardner (calf) inactive, the CB depth chart was chewed up in the second half when Justin Walley (knee) and Cam Taylor-Britt (groin) left with injuries. ... TE Tyler Warren (groin) missed his second straight game. LB Jaylon Carlies (ribs) returned to the starting lineup after missing two games.

Vikings: RB Aaron Jones aggravated a nagging knee injury in the fourth quarter when he took a low hit at the end of a 17-yard run. He didn't return.

Colts: at Jacksonville next Sunday.

Vikings: at Detroit next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) walks on the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) tries to scramble away from Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson, bottom, during the second half of an NFL football game in Minneapolis, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) scores past Indianapolis Colts safety A.J. Haulcy (25) during the second half of an NFL football game in Minneapolis, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) celebrates with cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (2) after intercepting a pass against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game in Minneapolis, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Vote-counting resumed in Brazil’s polarizing presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro after a chaotic, last-minute extension of polling station hours.

The extension had caused confusion at many polling stations. Some had already shut down when the decision — made by a Supreme Court justice three minutes before poll close time — was relayed to them several minutes after they’d already shut down, and results were paused until the end of the two-hour window.

The decision set the stage for possible legal challenges no matter who wins. Lula’s camp said it was already looking into taking legal action because of “interference in the electoral process,” said Edhinho Silva, chairman of Lula’s Workers Party.

Bolsonaro’s campaign had yet to comment. Bolsonaro ally Nikolas Ferreira said the decision that came from the Supreme Court justice, who is also Lula’s ex-lawyer, is an attempt to contest Bolsonaro’s likely win.

The election will determine whether the U.S. will significantly expand its growing influence in Latin America. A win for Bolsonaro would signify a pivot to the right by Latin America’s most populous country and its largest economy, in a year when Trump allies have scored victories in Chile, Peru and Colombia. A victory for Lula would leave Brazil and Mexico with left-of-center leaders.

Polls showed the two candidates, who need more than 50% of the vote to become Brazil’s next leader in January, in a neck-and-neck race. The election pits the left-of-center veteran politician Lula against Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro.

As polls were closing, Brazilian Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin ruled to extend voting nationwide for two hours following requests by both candidates. Lula’s request came after issues with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. A state electoral judge ordered the arrest of the Pablo Souza, mobility secretary of the Bahia state capital, Salvador, in relation to the case after at least 75 public buses were prevented from leaving municipal garages Sunday.

Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.

The extension threatened to cause logistical problems with some polls likely having closed before they got the order to stay open.

In Brasilia, volunteers who oversaw the vote count at a school debated whether they needed to stay after the announcement to extend voting, but most left 15 to 20 minutes after polls closed and they had given count information to electoral authorities. At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn’t be turned back on.

Supreme Court Justice Zanin later clarified the decision is valid for wherever polls were still open.

The electoral mission for the Organization of American States said in a statement that it is monitoring reports of public transportation issues.

Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. However, more than 33 million voters out of nearly 160 million did not turn out.

Bolsonaro and Lula have opposing ideological views on issues ranging from U.S.-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare.

In many ways, Brazil’s runoff vote is another tight rematch between the country’s two polarized political forces that trigger passion as much as loathing. Four years ago, Lula beat Bolsonaro’s father by the narrowest margin since the country’s return to democracy in 1985.

Lula, who first governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, has faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.

Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

Lula voters turned out Sunday driven by his history of supporting marginalized people and working to lift Brazilians out of poverty.

“Lula is a man of the people and he knows what it’s like to be poor,” Luzia da Souza, who runs a bar in Rio de Janeiro, said. "I find it impossible not to vote for him.”

Anderson Falcão, a 43-year-old journalist in Brasilia, said he worried about Bolsonaro’s long-term political vision, which he called “exclusionary.”

“It’s a project that harms the less fortunate, harms the worker, women, the forest, the Amazon,” he said.

Bolsonaro voters, many of whom wore yellow and green Brazil jerseys in support of the senator, said they want change.

“Things are really expensive and taxes are too high,” Fabianne Borges Santoro, a 45-year-old physiotherapist in Rio de Janeiro, said. She added that she once voted for Lula’s party but now associates it with corruption.

Kelvin Gomes Pimental, a 28-year-old data analyst in Brasilia, voted for a third-party candidate in the first round, making his vote for Lula a decisive one in this election.

“It’s not even about Flávio himself. It’s also very much about the management of the other Bolsonaro government. He wanted to stage a coup,” he said. “These issues scare me a little.”

Diogo Furtado, a 35-year-old Uber driver in Rio de Janeiro, didn’t vote the first time because of his work, but said he'll vote blank on Sunday. He said that neither candidate convinced him.

“Brazil needs a new candidate,” Furtado said. “But unfortunately our country has become dominated by two names: Lula and Bolsonaro."

Lula criticized the U.S. president before Brazil's election, speaking about the risks of U.S. intervention in Brazilian elections after the Trump administration imposed high tariffs against Brazilian exports and classified drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Experts say the moves may have been intended to make Lula look soft on crime.

Flávio Bolsonaro has touted his proximity to the White House and insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare minerals economy. Brazil estimates that its deposits hold up to 21 million tons, second only to China. He denies he's being helped by the U.S. government.

Trump said Sunday that he is watching the election but declined to endorse a candidate.

Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro flashes a victory sign as he arrives in Brasilia, Brazil, on the day of the presidential runoff election, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izuierdo)

People walk along the beach during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, wears glasses given to him by a supporter after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, displays a Brazilian flag before voting in a presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Voters line outside a polling station up during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A supporter of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, lines up at a polling station during a presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Voters wait to cast their ballots during a presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

Red T-shirts depicting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, and yellow T-shirts depicting opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro hang for sale outside a building ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff election in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, who is running for reelection, and his running mate Geraldo Alckmin raise their arms in unison at the end of their final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, center, leaves after his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro cheer during his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

A girl standing on a man's shoulders reaches out amid a crowd of supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, during his final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)